New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-25
FRENCH PAINTINGS AT THE ACCIDENT.

thin ,oon exhibition Of French paintings opened yes
,srday az the Academy by the American Art Assn
cation ia an instructive Illustration Oh Vareu Phaso'
OF modern French art, and not an exposiuon Vi VIC
morits Of any particular school Deacrons
danapalusn q canvas considerably iar5eI @n
AuvIste Bonheurs "Fontainebleau, recalls INC carry
days of the romantic movement In France. 1"'
Iandscape bv Rousseau larger than any example pub
uclv seen I'm this country painted for decoau'e
nurpose in the last and weakest period OK housseu
life but they serve to represent ono OF the soSes
NJ tho amen OF $780," the father Of mooern frehch
LANDSCAPE art" Yvon's immense canvas "Ihe mrs
tlan Legend" ia Of the later works OF an aris'
,ybo will probably remain better known as battle
nainter under Napoleon Ill than as painter VI
religious and allegoncal subjects, and who has mao
tho misfortune TO outliye his chief rehOwn' An au
mrable uttlo painting OF greyhounds by Jerome
,cprese nts ono Of the masters Of French academlc
art which Is Illustrated in more convenuohai way
i'm ! laws "Diana Surprised" very large eA-
omplo OF scholastic painting Of tho nute' as ooio
but hardly "a inspid as the recent Worh Vi D"u
gueeau Henri Levys "Chnst In the TOMB, seen
IN the Salon OF 1873, and @. l.. -Muuers Give Us
Barabbas," exhibited in 1873 ana his ohriS'' O
ia something of French essays In religious ART
Manct who stil holds n place OF his own, although
tho later improsslonists dsown his leadership Is TOP
resented by his execution OF MAMMALIAN, ana seVera
extremo examples of the fmpressionists Oh INC ua'
have been assembled by NJ. Durandiiuel In the noith
"Rcogue" with It's feeling for color the largest OK
amule ever seen here and OF the strong and chaac-
terful portrait Of Leo Nil by Ganiard' VINO oiea
RECENTLY leaving more OF q popular reputation per
haps as an engrayer than a. painter lhere u aa
ulrable painting Of horses and dogs by J. L. Brown
and Melin and Of Oriental scenes by husue', WIN
pictures by Boudn Benasst, well characterized MIL
tary paIntings by Protai and Bert, and vigorous
aguro pieco, strongly modelled but rude IN coorhR
by Falguiere, the sculptor more popular ART Is
Illustrated by paintings by Meissonier, Firmin-Gorard
Feyen-PerrIn and Billet and there are pictures oy
Dupre and Daubigny. Yet the feature Oh THIS ca
hbiton which will prove most profitable TO us Is the
collection of paintings by Puvs de Chavannes In the
north gallery Another French decorative painter
Henri Levy, Is represented by small replica Oh his
work I'm tho Pantheon which possibly suggests Deia-
croix,s influence. But this is Of importance In con-
parson with tho opportunity now first afforded our
untrsvoed pubic for acquaintance with the work
OF tho chief French champion Of idealsm, uuo
which, since Baudry's death, may well DO given 10
Dc Chavannes.
IL must DO borne In mind that nearly AL these
pictures arc very small reductions OF mural pant
ings designed to DO seen under entirely dihcreno
conditions. In point of lime the nooie so.sGs a1
ouled ol the Museum at Amlens come nrst re et
al uyll OF warriors In rotose youths ehsasS Nn,t
aud 'wat" contrast In color and design, present
ing old mon mourning over the oorpses Oh ume
cuIldren, captive women, dying oxen ana lounV a.
WARRIORS sounding an alarm, were DOth lanou IL
1871 "helOse,' al old nan ullucr willow pcSl"o
a iaAo reciting 10 listening group wnlio shep
herds and women by watch niue chnu anu
ala Travail" which shows groups or woOucuttefs'
workmon az an anvil, tolling peasant, and woman
IN whom new born babe Is presented by nurse,
wero executed in lo64. Tho argencss and roVoity
OF tho conceptions, and tho simplicity aud breadth
OF tho execution viii be felt In THESE Reductions
which on the whole may seem more impressive
partly IL is true from tho more general slshneanee
Of tina subjects than the small roI meas OF the
Pantheon paintings Of scenes In the iIle OF et.
Geneveve although tho latter have the dignity due 10
elevated tIeatment OF religious themes Ind are, III
line aud cOi0r more typical OF tho artist. Ihere
AFRO also shown fragmontary rophca OF the great
:" i. udns pro Patria' at Amiens MAJ daieh,"
warmer In color than usual, aud "Tho Poor Fisher
man. with figures almost byzantine IN their ascetr
icsn showing tho artists constant aln NJ tho type
rather than tho miS idual, aud also illustrating the
charm OF his severely simple backgrounds; liar
vest" very cold In color but interesting In IT'S lines,
and ohio Dreamer" complete the rel resentatiOn OF
a deco alive Iaintor whose inspiration one might
doom 90 havo been derived from Gotto, rather than
from Rarhacl, or from Michel Angelo or from the
great Nenetians Tho loftness OF his Imagination
and his Icrfeot sincerity and purity OF lurpose are
eharnCEerstics OF distinction In his manner OF ex
preston no has chosen tn, intellectual rather Than
tho sensuDus, the art OF color and Oh lar scuIo ant
hlA eeli-lmposed limitations are observed with need
less strlc' ncss In the Pantheon series especially
thero il bo noted avoidance OF light and shade
| and contr-t a milA Illumination. prevalent
Qraysh tone rendered. colder by the pefslstcnt ust